Best VPN for Mac in 2026
Mac VPN apps come in two flavours: the App Store build, which macOS restricts, and the direct-download build, which can do split tunnelling and a proper kill switch. We test the direct build of each on a MacBook Air M3 and note where the App Store version falls short.
ExpressVPN's Mac app is the most polished; NordVPN's is the fastest and includes Threat Protection. Both run natively on Apple silicon.
The 4 best VPNs for mac, ranked
- 1Best Mac app#3 overall · 9.1/10
ExpressVPN
Native Apple-silicon app, menu-bar control, reliable kill switch, and the cleanest design of any Mac VPN.
- macOS app
- Native app
- Speed
- 598 Mbps
- Devices
- 8
- Refund
- 30 days
- 2Fastest on Mac#1 overall · 9.7/10
NordVPN
Fastest speeds in our Mac tests; the direct-download build adds split tunnelling and Threat Protection Pro.
- macOS app
- Native app
- Speed
- 712 Mbps
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
−73% + 3 months freeends soon - 3Best value#2 overall · 9.4/10
Surfshark
Good native app with Bypasser split tunnelling; unlimited devices covers the Mac, iPhone and everything else.
- macOS app
- Native app
- Speed
- 655 Mbps
- Devices
- Unlimited
- Refund
- 30 days
−86% + 3 months freeends soon - 4Best free Mac VPN#4 overall · 8.9/10
Proton VPN
Open-source macOS app, free plan with no cap; NetShield blocks trackers on the paid plan.
- macOS app
- Native app
- Speed
- 541 Mbps
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
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Side by side
| VPN | Score | macOS app | Speed | Devices | 2-yr price | Refund | Port fwd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | 9.1 | Native app | 598 Mbps | 8 | $4.99 | 30 days | |
| NordVPN | 9.7 | Native app | 712 Mbps | 10 | $3.39 | 30 days | |
| Surfshark | 9.4 | Native app | 655 Mbps | Unlimited | $2.19 | 30 days | |
| Proton VPN | 8.9 | Native app | 541 Mbps | 10 | $4.49 | 30 days |
How we picked
Tested the direct-download macOS app of each provider on a MacBook Air M3: native Apple-silicon support, kill switch behaviour on sleep/wake, split tunnelling, speed, and menu-bar usability.
All scores come from the same monthly tests on the same rig — how we test. Rank order on this page is by the category criteria, not by commission.
Questions
What is the best VPN for Mac?
ExpressVPN for the app, NordVPN for speed. Download from the provider's site rather than the Mac App Store to get the full feature set.
Does macOS have a built-in VPN?
macOS can connect to a VPN server you configure manually (IKEv2, L2TP), but it needs server details from a provider. It is not a VPN service on its own.
Why does my Mac VPN disconnect after sleep?
Some apps don't re-establish the tunnel on wake. ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark handled sleep/wake cleanly in our tests; PureVPN occasionally needed a manual reconnect.
Is there a free VPN for Mac?
Proton VPN Free has a native Mac app with no data cap. It is the only free Mac VPN we recommend.